Sanchez is retiring after 36 years of service to the New Mexico Army National Guard. He has also been a career military technician at the Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site in Doña Ana. Col. Nathaniel Carper, the brigade’s commander, presided over the ceremony and paid tribute to Sanchez’s contributions. “You took it upon yourself to do a personal deep dive into every unit’s ESR, their Equipment Status Report. You found areas where we could improve, provided corrective measures and allowed them to increase their maintenance posture for every company in the 111th Sustainment Brigade. That improved the brigade’s readiness wholeheartedly,” Carper told Sanchez. “From the get-go,” Carper said, “you came in here and you haven’t let off the gas.” Carper explained that a Relinquishment of Responsibility ceremony, while rare, is not unheard of. Due to scheduling conflicts, Sanchez’s replacement as CSM was not available and will be afforded an Assumption of Responsibility ceremony at a later date. Sanchez will have a formal retirement ceremony in October. Sanchez said that as a member of Air Force Junior ROTC, he intended to join the Air Force after graduating from high school. He then changed his mind and followed his older brother Simon into the NMARNG. Sanchez is now retiring from the very position his brother retired from last year. An avid military collector, Sanchez gifted memorabilia to Carper, Deputy Commander Col. Pia Romero, and State CSM Robbie Cantrell during the ceremony. Unit personnel presented Sanchez’s wife Blanca with a bouquet of roses in thanks for her support of her husband and the brigade. Sanchez fondly recalled the beginning of his career serving in 2nd Battalion, 200th Air Defense Artillery—one of four M-42 Duster battalions in New Mexico at the time. He reminisced about being paid cash during pay call in Basic Combat Training and learning how to drive the venerable M-151 Jeep. “This is where I needed to be. People told me to become a warrant officer, but I knew being an NCO was the right thing for me.” Sanchez said before the ceremony. “I have no regrets.” [gallery size="medium" link="file" ids="4696,4697,4698"]
